Kamchatka’s Shiveluch spews ash up to 8 km above sea level

The volcano was awarded the orange aviation code, which meant that ash emitted from its crater might pose danger to aircraft flying over Kamchatka

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Photo ITAR-TASS

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, June 15 (Itar-Tass) — The Shiveluch volcano in Russia’s Far Eastern Kamchatka Peninsula has spewed ash to an altitude of up to eight kilometers above sea level, the Kamchatka branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Geophysical Service reports on Friday.

There is no danger for the local population, and there has been no ashfall in local settlements, it said. A quake continuing for 3.5 minutes was registered on the volcano at 8:54 am local time (00:54 Moscow time). It was accompanied by ash emission from its crater. It was not seen, as the volcano is covered with clouds.

The volcano was awarded the orange aviation code, which meant that ash emitted from its crater might pose danger to aircraft flying over Kamchatka. Ash emissions from the crater to an altitude of over ten kilometers are possible any moment.

According to KVERT (Kamchatka volcanoes eruption reaction team) data, the volcano has been demonstrating an increased seismic activity within this week.

Shiveluch is the northernmost active volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula. It is located 450 kilometers northeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The absolute height of the volcano is 3,283 meters. The highest point of its active part, called Young Shiveluch, is 2,500 meters above sea level, the diameter of the crater is 1.5 kilometers. Catastrophic eruptions took place in 1864 and 1964, when a large part of the lava dome collapsed and created a devastating debris avalanche.

Young Shiveluch has been active since September 1980. Specialists have been continuously monitoring the volcano for more than 30 years. So far the volcano poses no threat to neighboring populated localities.